The 3 Inevitables of Recruiting While Rebuilding

[sjt18]

I wonder how many in this thread who are automatically blaming the players and declaring that this is all part of building a program will be crying "Attrition!" during the season when we get beat again by a team (like Missouri) who hasn't recruited as well as we have.

"Attrition"... it's the new "we're too young".

 

[ntxVOL]

There are folks in the recruiting forum that understand how this all works. But the NCAA has a limit then the SEC has one on top of that. I think the cap is 25 but then they have rules for back counting certain players to the last class if it wasn't full. UT's last class WAS full but iirc there might have been a caveat that would have allowed them to sign a couple more than 25... but players leaving the way these are do not allow you to recruit more in the next class.

I agree, and this is why this type of attrition does hurt a young team like ours. We need the depth. I understand these things happen and it is part of the game. It still hurts when we lose quality depth and we will likely feel it next season.

 

[landscapingvol]

Soft bricks? Stop blaming the kids. They're still talented. These are NOT the kinds of players the OP is imagining. Hendrix and Helm earned PT as freshmen. They were going to be contributors.

Henderson and possibly Sawyer could have been good players. Losing 3 young and talented DL's from a part of your team that isn't deep AND is difficult to recruit... is NOT a good thing.

OK. I'll leave you alone now so you can put your head back in the sand.

we all know your position on every issue as it pertains to all things UT, no need to whine like a 12 year old girl all the time

 

[Carl Pickens]

Soft bricks? Stop blaming the kids. They're still talented. These are NOT the kinds of players the OP is imagining. Hendrix and Helm earned PT as freshmen. They were going to be contributors.

Henderson and possibly Sawyer could have been good players. Losing 3 young and talented DL's from a part of your team that isn't deep AND is difficult to recruit... is NOT a good thing.

OK. I'll leave you alone now so you can put your head back in the sand.

The players made the decision to leave so who should be blamed?

 

[UT_Dutchman]

I was home sick 1 time when I was on a 12 day backpacking expedition. Should have done like I was told, 'get over it, you will be fine'.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

we all know your position on every issue as it pertains to all things UT, no need to whine like a 12 year old girl all the time

This. For Gods sake this. Nega please.

 

[landscapingvol]

This. For Gods sake this. Nega please.

he is insufferable all of the time

 

[TNnative]

I FOUND THE "I" IN TEAM T-SHIRT (WHITE INK)

 

[General Jack]

It is amazing the extent some will go to rationalize everything as "good".

This is bad. It ain't good in any way, shape, or form. A team that NEEDS depth loses players who WERE NOT beaten out. They played. Helm was playing as much as Wolf by the end of the season. Hendrix was getting PT. Only injuries kept Scott from playing.

I don't know why they left and neither do most here. There have been many rumors and SOME OF THEM do not reflect well on the coaches.

You can believe whatever you like but please stop pretending this is somehow another "brick". It isn't. They lost some bricks with this.

Give me a break attrition happens and you know it. If we adequately replace those guys, who weren't in the 2 deep at end of season I might add, we will be just fine.

This is just another milestone in your 12 step plan to validate the hypothesis you formed on CBJ the day he was hired.

 

[KKruzVFL]

Don't want to here any excuses about our talent level and depth when we get our butts kicked by the SEC elite! We shouldn't be losing this many players.

 

[OrangeSquid]

... There have been many rumors and SOME OF THEM do not reflect well on the coaches... They lost some bricks with this.

What are these rumors?

... We've heard that they were homesick and that they didn't like the language directed at them by coaches.

Is this some of the rumors that reflect negatively on the coaches and helped push the players to leave?

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

It is amazing the extent some will go to rationalize everything as "good".

This is bad. It ain't good in any way, shape, or form. A team that NEEDS depth loses players who WERE NOT beaten out. They played. Helm was playing as much as Wolf by the end of the season. Hendrix was getting PT. Only injuries kept Scott from playing.

I don't know why they left and neither do most here. There have been many rumors and SOME OF THEM do not reflect well on the coaches.

You can believe whatever you like but please stop pretending this is somehow another "brick". It isn't. They lost some bricks with this.

It's quite entertaining to watch everyone try to spin this into a positive.

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

Don't want to here any excuses about our talent level and depth when we get our butts kicked by the SEC elite! We shouldn't be losing this many players.

Get ready because it's coming. The same ones trying to spin this as Butch making room will be making excuses about a lack of depth whe we lose to Florda and Mizzou again next year.

 

[sjt18]

we all know your position on every issue as it pertains to all things UT, no need to whine like a 12 year old girl all the time

No. You actually don't there smart guy. When things are positive, I call them positive. When Jones and his staff do something good... I praise them. So if I am "predictable" it is because I am more honest about the good and the bad than folks like you.

I am pretty sure it is you 12 year old girls that can't stand to consider even the notion that things aren't perfect. You have to rationalize everything away because you just can't handle looking at the good and bad.

 

[sjt18]

The players made the decision to leave so who should be blamed?

The kids made the choice but unless we KNOW why then we really can't answer how the blame is distributed. Jones is fond of saying that they have a "profile" for the recruits they pursue. At the absolute bare minimum, they need to take a look at the profile.

The two things that have come out have been that a couple of these players didn't like the language used by the coaches. If you recruit kids with strong values... then you have to swallow some of those words you'd like to spit out.

The other is homesickness. The profile should anticipate that. The testing we use at work isn't nearly as sophisticated or expensive as what UT uses for recruiting... and I can almost always tell you where a new employee will struggle. Surely they can predict more accurately which kids can't handle being away from home?

There are MANY here who want to say things like they weren't good enough to compete or were unhappy with playing time or some other speculation that seems to be designed for nothing but shielding the coaches from any and all blame. It is very likely that in some way or another the staff bears some blame. They certainly aren't leaving because they consider the staff their new family and can't live without them.

 

[sjt18]

Nobody, at least on this thread, said they were leaving because of lack of playing time. They all would have played and added important depth. Especially Helm.

Evet Vols insinuated that with his/her "soft bricks" comment... and then confirmed it in his/her next post.

And btw, the "personal" could be anything from "I miss momma" to "I hate the coaches. They lied to me and screwed me."

 

[butchna]

Evet Vols insinuated that with his/her "soft bricks" comment... and then confirmed it in his/her next post.

And btw, the "personal" could be anything from "I miss momma" to "I hate the coaches. They lied to me and screwed me."

Probably

 

[OHvol40]

The kids made the choice but unless we KNOW why then we really can't answer how the blame is distributed. Jones is fond of saying that they have a "profile" for the recruits they pursue. At the absolute bare minimum, they need to take a look at the profile.

The two things that have come out have been that a couple of these players didn't like the language used by the coaches. If you recruit kids with strong values... then you have to swallow some of those words you'd like to spit out.

The other is homesickness. The profile should anticipate that. The testing we use at work isn't nearly as sophisticated or expensive as what UT uses for recruiting... and I can almost always tell you where a new employee will struggle. Surely they can predict more accurately which kids can't handle being away from home?

There are MANY here who want to say things like they weren't good enough to compete or were unhappy with playing time or some other speculation that seems to be designed for nothing but shielding the coaches from any and all blame. It is very likely that in some way or another the staff bears some blame. They certainly aren't leaving because they consider the staff their new family and can't live without them.

This stuff obviously happens everywhere for very obvious reasons. We are dealing with teenagers who are sold by coaches using what equate to high pressure sales tactics.

Then they arrive and are put into a meat grinder of competition on the field, meanwhile their social and academic lives are both challenged immediately. All while being away from home.

It's easy to see why this situation won't work for every individual person, especially at such a young age.

Why does someone have to be blamed? It's commonplace at most major football programs, and sometimes it even works out in our favor (Kamara), just let it be what it is and stop pointing fingers.

 

[lilesrt]

Also, I think kids are being mentally challenged by not being home for the holidays. These are 19 year old kids that likely haven't ever missed Christmas with their family. Butch even just said Tennessee football isn't about being home for the holidays, it's about preparing for a bowl game. It's kind of sad really. I admit I would be mentally challenged by that.

As a side note, the NCAA sucks for allowing college football bowl games to occur during the holiday season. For an organization that says being a student comes first and calls the athletes "amateurs," it sure does make me sick the way they manipulate and monopolize these kid's lives and futures.

You act like " Tennessee Football" is the only program keeping "kids" from experiencing Christmas with their families. This is major D1 football. What an honor it would be to have the opportunity to play for a school like Tennessee. It all goes back to work ethic and unrealistic expectations on behalf of the player and their parents. The parents of these kids should expect adversity and propery guide their child through it. Condoning quitting in the face of adversity only creates a monster of a problem later in life. Come on guys... Push through the tough times. You will be better for it.

 

[Old Man Orange]

***Breaking News***

In response to the latest meltdown on VN over freshmen players seeking to transfer from the football program the following statement has been released.

Effective this week all Coaches and support staff will attend an all day class on Sensitivity training. In addition the team plans to hire four team Moms to start in the fall of 2015. These positions are being created to help ease the transition of players from home to college.

On a related matter the United States military is planning on doing the same thing to help recruits in the transition of civilian life to the military.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Nobody, at least on this thread, said they were leaving because of lack of playing time. They all would have played and added important depth. Especially Helm. In this case, it is definitely not playing time. But it is personal. Being personal means we don't get to know and we don't need to know. It's their business. Football isn't everything people.

Remember, a walk-on beat out Helm for playing time. Helms knew he was not going to play and he left. Pretty simple to me.

 

[The Tall Gguy]

This has to be the trickiest, most circuitous process there ever was. Best of luck to those leaving, whatever their reasons.

 

[dd4vols]

It is amazing the extent some will go to rationalize everything as "good".

This is bad. It ain't good in any way, shape, or form. A team that NEEDS depth loses players who WERE NOT beaten out. They played. Helm was playing as much as Wolf by the end of the season. Hendrix was getting PT. Only injuries kept Scott from playing.

I don't know why they left and neither do most here. There have been many rumors and SOME OF THEM do not reflect well on the coaches.

You can believe whatever you like but please stop pretending this is somehow another "brick". It isn't. They lost some bricks with this.

can you give me links to any 2 positive posts you have made?

 

[oregonvol]

can you give me links to any 2 positive posts you have made?

I can...

You can see he was quite hopeful after the Oklahoma loss...

Nothing but hope at this point

...and he often praised Worley and argued that he was underrated, even going so far as to refer to him as one of the most underestimated players in the last 30 years of the program...


Worley

In both cases, I disagreed with him. But I can't blame the guy for trying to find a few positives even when reality is filled with negatives.

 

[ERAY]

yeah some of these players may still believe in Santa Claus

Dude.... I just saw him at Bass Pro with my kids! :rofl: